6 Essential Spices For Your Pantry

A question I'm often asked is: "I don't have a big spice cabinet or a variety of spices, so how can I cook Indian food or make a curry?" I'm sharing my everyday spice staples that you can use across a variety of recipes to elevate your home cooking.

I've chosen a range of spices that feature in my recipes and are versatile, easy to find, and have great health benefits too. While buying the seeds whole and grinding them might add the most flavour, pre-ground spices will save you time and still do the trick beautifully.

While I do buy a lot of my spices from India, I’ve discovered a local spice shop in Sydney called Gewürzhaus where I buy all my spice blends. If you’re still getting used to experimenting with spice, or would like an affordable options, the home-brand grocery store versions will be just fine.

My spice cabinet essentials -

Cumin
Probably my most used spice, cumin is a warming, earthy spice used across a variety of cuisines ranging from Indian to Middle Eastern to Central American. It's a great starter spice, forming the base of several Indian recipes, used in its seed form for a satisfying pop, or sprinkled on salads and raita (yogurt sauce) before serving. I even make a cumin tea to relieve stomach cramps as it helps reduce inflammation and aids digestion.

Black Pepper
One of the most popular spices worldwide, black pepper goes hand in hand with salt and is used widely in different countries. As I’ve learned more about its earthy, fruity heat, I’ve come to appreciate the complexity of freshly cracked pepper vs the powdered version, and like to grind it fresh just before using. I recently tried the black pepper from Pep and it’s really taken my cooking to the next level.

Smoked Paprika
An easy ways to add colour and a lovely depth of flavour to your cooking is smoked paprika. Made from dried, smoked capsicum, it has a milder, sweeter flavour when compared to chilli powder, but still adds a gentle heat. Smoked paprika perfect for adding richness to stews, sauces, and roasted vegetables. I also love pairing it with meat like this spiced roast chicken recipe.

Cinnamon
What’s autumn or winter without the sweet scent of cinnamon-flavoured everything filling the air? From cinnamon buns to donuts, chai lattes and warming curries, cinnamon is the gift that keeps giving. It's one of the best spices for home cooking as it can be used across both sweet and savoury recipes and is relatively easy to find in any grocery store.

Turmeric
Hailed for its incredible health benefits, turmeric is a golden spice that is used in several South Asian recipes, known for its powerful anti inflammatory properties. My grandmother mixed a teaspoon of it with warm milk and made me drink the concoction whenever I was sick (something I still do to this day), but we simply called it Haldi Doodh (turmeric milk) instead of the popular moniker Golden Latte.

Chilli powder
You'll find a huge variety of chilli in my pantry—fat dried chillies, Kashmiri chilli powder, and chilli flakes. While you don't need such an array, I'd recommend including a mild chilli powder in your spice cabinet so you can add a pinch or a tablespoon depending on your heat tolerance. If you’re looking for tips on how to build your spice tolerance, read more here.

Along with this list of must-have kitchen spices, I also love trying spices and blends from around the world. If you're looking to broaden your horizons, some of my other favourite spices are fennel seeds, sumac, coriander powder, garam masala, Tajín, za'atar, Chinese five spice, dukkah, Ras el Hanout, and harissa.

Looking for a way to use these spice essentials? Check out my recipes below.